Digital television transmission parameters-analysis and discussion

Terrestrial digital (DTV) broadcasting is now underway in the major markets in the United States after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in several Reports and Orders set the standard on December 24, 1996, and subsequently released rules of operation and broadcaster channel allocations. Broadcasters are concerned with many in-band and out-of-band transmission parameters, including data signal quality, clock tolerance, radiated power tolerance, carrier phase noise, adjacent channel emissions, and precision frequency offset requirements. The FCC permits DTV power-level changes and/or transmitting antenna location and height and beam tilt in the context of the minimum interference levels. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has provided guidelines for broadcasters in the form of suggested compliance specifications, which are covered in this paper.